First-Principles Investigation of Surface-Induced Effects on the Properties of Divacancy Qubits in 3C-SiC

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Viglione, Rosario G., Castorina, Giovanni, Calogero, Gaetano, Fisicaro, Giuseppe, Ricciarelli, Damiano, Deretzis, Ioannis, La Magna, Antonino
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Viglione, Rosario G.
Castorina, Giovanni
Calogero, Gaetano
Fisicaro, Giuseppe
Ricciarelli, Damiano
Deretzis, Ioannis
La Magna, Antonino
author_facet Viglione, Rosario G.
Castorina, Giovanni
Calogero, Gaetano
Fisicaro, Giuseppe
Ricciarelli, Damiano
Deretzis, Ioannis
La Magna, Antonino
contents Neutral silicon-carbon divacancy (V$_{Si}$V$_{C}$) in cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) is a promising class of point defects for quantum technologies based on active crystalline centers. Within the theoretical framework of spin-polarized Density Functional Theory (DFT), this study examines the structural and electronic characteristics of V$_{Si}$V$_{C}$ centers near a hydrogen-terminated Si-rich (001) surface. A (2x1):H reconstructed slab of 628 atoms represents the near-surface environment, with divacancies located at depths ranging from 0.6 to 1.2 nm in basal and axial orientations. The optimized geometries show localized relaxations, and the electronic structure reveals in-gap defect levels in both spin channels. Furthermore, examination of the zero-field splitting (ZFS) tensor demonstrates sensitivity to the orientation of the spin defects and their distance from the surface. The findings of this investigation suggest that surface proximity exerts a substantial influence on the spin Hamiltonian of divacancies, providing insight for the engineering of SiC-based qubits and nanoscale quantum devices.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_09436
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle First-Principles Investigation of Surface-Induced Effects on the Properties of Divacancy Qubits in 3C-SiC
Viglione, Rosario G.
Castorina, Giovanni
Calogero, Gaetano
Fisicaro, Giuseppe
Ricciarelli, Damiano
Deretzis, Ioannis
La Magna, Antonino
Materials Science
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Neutral silicon-carbon divacancy (V$_{Si}$V$_{C}$) in cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) is a promising class of point defects for quantum technologies based on active crystalline centers. Within the theoretical framework of spin-polarized Density Functional Theory (DFT), this study examines the structural and electronic characteristics of V$_{Si}$V$_{C}$ centers near a hydrogen-terminated Si-rich (001) surface. A (2x1):H reconstructed slab of 628 atoms represents the near-surface environment, with divacancies located at depths ranging from 0.6 to 1.2 nm in basal and axial orientations. The optimized geometries show localized relaxations, and the electronic structure reveals in-gap defect levels in both spin channels. Furthermore, examination of the zero-field splitting (ZFS) tensor demonstrates sensitivity to the orientation of the spin defects and their distance from the surface. The findings of this investigation suggest that surface proximity exerts a substantial influence on the spin Hamiltonian of divacancies, providing insight for the engineering of SiC-based qubits and nanoscale quantum devices.
title First-Principles Investigation of Surface-Induced Effects on the Properties of Divacancy Qubits in 3C-SiC
topic Materials Science
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.09436